Carlos Ruiz (legal dispute) won't travel to USA for World Cup qualifier
The U.S. men's national team will face a Guatemalan squad that will be without forward Carlos Ruiz on Tuesday as he is prohibited from leaving the country due to a legal dispute and will miss the World Cup qualifier in Colombia, the Guatemalan federation confirmed.
The dispute is about property that he owns with a partner, who recently stopped making payments. Paperwork would need to be filed in court but they are closed in Guatemala over the weekend.
“It’s sad because I want to play every game, but this is our justice,” Ruiz told the New York Times. “You cannot do anything.”
He could be cleared to leave the country as soon as Monday, which would be too late to travel for Tuesday's match. Ruiz will play in Friday's qualifier in Guatemala City.
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Ruiz holds the national record for scoring all-time with 59 goals in international play.
Guatemala lost to Trinidad and Tobago 2–1 in its opening qualifier before defeating St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4–0. The USMNT defeated St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6–1 before drawing with Trinidad and Tobago 0–0 in Port of Spain.
